A Little Smog and Soot Never Killed Anyone, Oh Wait

By Joanna Miller in News on Apr 28, 2006 7:06PM

Chicagoist couldn’t be happier with the delightful weather we’ve had recently. If you’re stuck in a cube somewhere, you should really try to get outside as soon as possible – it’s freakin’ gorgeous.

But leave it to us to go and ruin all that for you.

Chicago was ranked as the 11th most-polluted city in the United States by the American Lung Association in its “State of the Air 2006" report.

The ranking is based on levels of soot and smog in the air. Cheyenne, Wyo., has the cleanest air and, not surprisingly, Los Angeles takes the prize for the filthiest (Sorry, LAist).

Actually, not one Ist city made the list of 25 least-polluted cities. So, they can have their fancy clean air, we’re more fun anyway (cough).

Overall, air in the U.S. is cleaner than it was last year, so that’s good news at least. The ALA credits this to pollution-cutting programs at coal-fired power plants.

But it’s not cleaner by much, so there are still hazards to worry about, especially for senior citizens, children and people who suffer from certain chronic diseases. Click here for more details and the full lists.

And have a fabulous weekend, just try not to breathe.

Downtown Chicago via Giant Ginkgo